Automatic ram-starter.



1 J. F. T. B. BRENTAN.

AUTOMATIC RAM STARTER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 5, 1911.v

ATTORNEYS 1 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII C0..WA5HINOTON, D. C.

JOI-IN F. v'Il'rIllO B. BRENTANO, OF ST. PAUL, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC RAM-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

serial No. 636,819.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. THEO B. BRENTANO, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Ram- Starter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improvelnent in ram starters, and has for its object, the provision of means in connection with the ram for opening and closing the impetus valve to stop and start the same in accordance with the head of the water, stopping the ram when the water falls below a predetermined point, and starting it when the water has a suflicient head.

'In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is a plan view.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the ram 1 is of any usual or desired construction, and the impetus valve thereof l near one end, and the bearing is journaled is contained in the chamber 2 of the ram. A standard 3 is provided with a foot 4, for receiving one of the holding bolts 5 of the ram, and the said standard is longitudinally slotted at its upper end, as indicated at 6.

A cross bar 7 is adjustably held on the standard, by means of a bolt 8, which passes through an opening in the cross bar and the slot 6, and is engaged by a nut 9, to hold the parts together. The opening of the cross bar is somewhat nearer its outer end than the inner.

A lever 10 is provided with a bearing 11 nearer one end than the other, and with a longitudinal series 12-13 of openings at f each end. The bearing engages the bolt` 8,

and a pea, poise, or counterpoise 14 is provided with means for engaging one opening of the series 13, and weights 15 are arranged on the counter-poise. The opposite end of the lever moves in a vertical slot in a guide bar 16 which is provided with a foot. 17, having an opening for receivin one of the holding bolts 18 of the ram. ie bar 16 is provided with a longitudinal series of spaced openings 19 transverse to the slot, and pins 2O are arranged in sundry of the said openings for limiting the movement of the adj acent end of the lever.

A container 21 is provided with a bail 22, having a hook 23, for engaging one'of the openings of the series 12, and the said cony tainer is held in position to receive the discharge from a pipe 24, which leads from the reservoir of the ram. The pipe 24 is so arranged with respect to the reservoir, that water will not flow from the pipe until the reservoir is full. Whenever the water flows through the pipe 24, the water has suliicient head to run the ram. The receptacle or container when full, counterbalances the opposite end of the lever and the weights 15, and swings the lever on the bolt 8.

A pin 25 extends laterally from the lever 10, between the bolt 8 and the container 21, and the said pin is in position to engage one end of a lever 27 having a central bearing 28 journaled on a bolt 29 passing through an opening in the adjacent end of the cross bar 7. The other end of the lever is provided with a hook 30 engaging an eye 31, in one end of a spring 32, 'whose other end engages an eye bolt 33 engaging an opening in the other end of the cross bar 7, and held in place by a nut 34.

A lever 35 is provided with a bearing 36 on the eye bolt 33 before mentioned. The outer end of the lever 35 is in position for engagement by a laterally extending arm 37, adjustably connected to the lever 10 by means of a bolt 38, passing through an opening in the lever, and a slot 39 in an angular extension 40 of the arm. By loosening the bolt 38, the arm may be adjusted vertically on the lever 10 to engage the adjacent end of the lever 35, at a predetermined height of the lever 10. The opposite end of the lever 35 is provided with a fork 41, which is engaged by a stem 42, connected with the impetus valve of the ram, and having a head 43 above the lever.

In operation, when the water in the reservoir is insuificient to run the ram, water `ceases to flow from the pipe 24 into the container 21, and the water already in the container flows out of the same, through a plu? rality of openings 44, in the container near its bottom, and having a smaller aggregate capacity than the pipe 24. vThe weight 15 then counterbalances the lever 10, lifting the counterbalance the weights 15, the lever 10 is swung in the opposite direction. By the engagement of pin 25 with lever 27, the lever 27 of the rock shaft moves downward, engages the head 43 of stem 41, depresses it, opens the impetus valve and starts the rain in operation. The pin 25 now allows lever 27 to escape, and lever 27 is drawn to its normal position by spring 32. The waste water is now thrown from the impetus valve into the container 2l and will keep container 21 down until the ram ceases to run, when the container will. run empty.

I claim:-

1. In combination with the ram and the impetus valve thereof, of a stem for the valve provided with a head at its upper end, a plate for attachment to the ram having at one end a longitudinally slotted standard and at the other a longitudinally slotted guide provided with spaced openings transverse to the slot, a cross bar, a bolt engaging the cross bar intermediate its ends and the slot of the standard, a nut engaging the bolt, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the slotted standard 3 and provided at each end with a longitudinal series of spaced openings, a receptacle having means for engaging an opening of the series at one end, a counter-poise having means for engaging an opening of the series at the other end, a bar pivoted on one end of the cross bar and provided at one end with a fork engaging the stem of the impetus valve, an arm adjustable vertically on the first named lever for engaging the opposite end of the last named lever, a rock shaft journaled on the cross bar and provided with oppositely extending arms, one arm extending above the head of the valve stem, a pin extending laterally from the first named lever for engaging the end of the arm, and a spring engaging the other arm of the rock shaft for returning it to position when released by the lever, said receptacle having openings at its bottom, and a pipe for leading water from the reservoir of the ram and delivering it into the receptacle, said pipe having a greater capacity than the aggregate capacity of the openings of the receptacle, said first named bar moving within the slot of the guide, and pins passed through the openings of the guide above and below the lever.

2.,In combination with the ram and the impetus valve thereof, of a stem connected with the valve and provided with a head at its upper end, a plate having means for attaching it to the ram and provided with a standard, a cross bar adjustable vertically on the standard, a lever pivoted to the standard, a receptacle adjustably connected with one end of the lever, a weight adjustably connected with the other end, a pin extending laterally from the lever between the receptacle and the standard and above the head of the valve stem, an arm adjustable vertically on the lever between the standard and the weight, a lever pivoted on the cross bar and provided at one end with a fork engaging the valve stem, the other end of the said lever extending beneath the arm, a rock shaft on the cross bar having an arm extending between the head of the stem and the pin, a spring normally pressing said arm upwardly, a guide for the first named lever for preventing lateral swinging thereof, means on the guide for limiting the vertical movement of the lever, and a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram and delivering to the receptacle, said receptacle having outlet openings of smalleri aggregate capacity than the pipe.

8. In combination with the ram and the impetus valve thereof, of a stem connected with the valve and provided with a head at its upper end, a plate having means for attaching it to the ram and provided with a standard, a cross bar adjustable vertically on the standard, a lever pivoted to the standard, a receptacle adjustably connected with one end of the lever, a weight adjustably connected with the other end, a pin extending laterally from the lever between the receptacle and the standard and above the head of the stem, an arm adjustable vertically on the lever between the cross bar and the weight, a lever pivoted on the cross bar and provided at one end with a fork engaging the valve stem, the other end of the said lever extending beneath the arm, a rock shaft on the cross bar having an arm extending between the head of the stem and the pin, a spring normally pressing said arm upwardly, and a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram to the receptacle, said receptacle having a discharge opening of less capacity than the pipe.

4. The combination with the ram and the impetus valve thereof, of a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram at a higher level than the connection of the ram, a stem on the valve provided with a head, a standard for connection to the ram, a cross bar adjustable on the standard, a lever pivoted on the cross bar and provided at one end with a fork for engaging the stem, an arm pivoted on the cross bar at one end and extending above the head, a lever pivoted on the standard and provided with a lateral pin intermediate its ends, an arm adjustable on the last named leverfor engaging the other end of the first named lever, a weight adjustable on one end of the last named lever, and a receptacle adjustable on the other end of the said last named lever and arranged beneath the outlet of the pipe, and having discharge openings of less aggregate capacity than the pipe, and a spring for lifting the arm out of contact with the head.

5. The combination with the ram and the impetus valve thereof, of a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram at a higher level than the connection of the ram, a standard for attachment to the ram, a cross bar adjustable on the standard, means on the cross bar for closing the valve, means on the cross bar for opening the valve, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the standard, a weight adjustable on one end of the lever, a receptacle adjustable on the other end and into which the pipe delivers, said receptacle having a discharge opening of smaller capacity than the pipe, means on the lever for operating the valve opening means, when the end having the weight moves downward, and means on the lever for operating the closing means when the end having the receptacle moves downward.

6. The combination with the ram, and the impetus valve thereof, of a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram at a higher level than the connection of the ram, a support for attachment to the ram, means on the support for opening the valve, a lever mounted for swinging movement intermediate its ends in the support, a weight adjustable on one end of the lever, a receptacle adjustable on the other end into which the pipe delivers, said receptacle having a discharge opening of smaller capacity than the pipe, means on the lever for operating the valve opening means, when the end having the receptacle moves downward, means on the lever for operating the closing means when the end having the Weight moves downward, and means for adjusting the said last named means vertically on the lever.

7. The combination with the ram, and the impetus valve thereof, of a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram at a higher level than the connection of the ram, a support for attachment to the ram, means on the support for opening the valve, means on the support for closing the valve a lever mounted for swinging movement intermediate its ends on the support, a weight adjustable on one end of the lever, a receptacle adjustable on the other end and into which the pipe delivers, said receptacle having a discharge opening of smaller capacity than the pipe, means on the lever for operating the valve opening means, when the end having the receptacle moves downward, and means on the lever for operating the closing means when the end having the weight moves downward.

8. The combination with the ram, and the impetus valve thereof, of a support for attachrnent to the ram, a lever mounted for swinging movement on the support, a weight on one end of the lever, a receptacle on the other end of the lever, a pipe leading from the reservoir of the ram at a higher level than the connection of the ram and delivering to the receptacle, said receptacle having discharge openings of smaller capacity than the pipes, and means operated by the swinging movement of the lever for opening and closing the valve.

JOHN F. THEO B. BRENTANO.

Witnesses: Y l

T. E. CORNBEST, M. BRENTANO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

